Democratic Convention 2016

When Reason Met Triumph the Insult Comic Dog at the DNC

"If free speech is so great, why are they just giving it away for free?"

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At the Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, Triump the Insult Comic Dog was on hand to cover the event for Hulu (or, as he pronounces it, "Hooolu"). Along with Reason TV producer Alexis Garcia, I had the opportunity to participate in a bold experiment inside Triumph's "Free Speech Booth," where our very souls were tested. We could either say whatever we wanted to say or read a script about Goldman Sachs for a crisp $50 bill. Click above to see what we end up doing. We show up one after the other around the 2:30 mark.

Shortly after that harrowing encounter, I talked with Triumph's creator, Robert Smigel, who created a series of tremendous videos for Saturday Night Live beginning in 1996. Click below to watch that Facebook Live stream, which updates Walter Benjamin's "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" for a time when a grown man can make a living and create a cult following with a foul-mouthed (and incredibly funny) dog puppet.